2018 IWGS New Waterlily Competition Results

In 2018, the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society (IWGS) held its third New Waterlily Competition at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. This year, 16 entries were submitted from around the world by waterlily hybridizers across the three categories: hardy, intersubgeneric (ISG) and tropical.
 The entries were grown under the supervision of senior gardener Tim Jennings at Longwood Gardens. The 2018 judging panel was composed of 19 judges from different countries whose expertise ranged from nursery and botanical garden waterlily growers to waterlily hybridizers and enthusiasts.

• Brian Galligan (Naples Botanical Garden, USA)

• CuiWei Yu (China)

• Dave Brigante (Hughes Water Gardens, USA)

• Deb Spencer (Water’s Edge, USA)

•
 Farley See (Moore Water Gardens, Canada)

• Gianluca Bonomo (Piante d’Acqua, Italy)

• Iain MacGregor (Water Garden Life, Australia)

•
 James Allison (Aquapic, UK)

• James Bennett (Bennetts Water Gardens, UK)

• James Knock (Water Garden Plants, UK)

• John Loggins (Lone Star Aquatic Nursery, USA)

• Mark Wilson (Any Pond Limited, UK)

• 
Matthew Koch (hybridizer, USA)

• 
Miguel Castillo (Venezuela)

• Richard Gallehawk (Dorset Water Lily Co, UK)

• Rolf Nelson (Nelson Water Gardens, USA)

• Séverine Lyssens-Danneboom (Agua, Belgium)

•
 Tomas Escribano (Spain)

•
 Zijun Li (hybridizer, China)

After the votes were cast, the results for the 2018 IWGS New Waterlily Competition winners were announced as follows:



2018 IWGS Best Overall New Waterlily

•
 Nymphaea ‘Mahasombut’ by Nattawut Rodboot (Thailand)

2018 IWGS Best New Hardy Waterlily

• 1st Place – Nymphaea ‘Mahasombut’ by Nattawut Rodboot,(Thailand)

• 2nd Place – Nymphaea ‘Paranee’ by Miss Paranee Ampornsiri (Thailand)

•
 3rd Place – Nymphaea ‘Nattamon’ by Mr Pornchai (Thailand)

2018 IWGS
Best New Intersubgeneric (ISG) Waterlily

•
 1st Place -Nymphaea ‘Thongkai’ by Nopchai Chansilpa (Thailand)

• 2nd Place – Nymphaea ‘Bangkok Pink Panther’ by Jakkaphong Sangngam (Thailand)

• 3rd Place – Nymphaea ‘R. Moerings’ by Florida Aquatics (USA)



2018 IWGS Best New Tropical Waterlily

• 1st Place – Nymphaea ‘Rassamee jan’ by Mrs Pojjanee Thongbai (Thailand)

• 2nd Place – Nymphaea ‘Corona Red’ by Jakkaphong Sangngam (Thailand)

•
 3rd Place – Nymphaea ‘Fahtawan’ by Nopchai Chansilpa (Thailand)

We would like to thank Tim Jennings and Longwood Gardens for their support in hosting the IWGS New Waterlily Competition on-site for the past three years, Jolisa Copeman (an intern at Longwood Gardens) for her incredible photography of the competition’s waterlilies, and last but not least, the judges who volunteered their valuable time and knowledge to this competition.
 Looking ahead, 2019 will see the IWGS New Waterlily Competition relocate to a new location — sunny South Florida. The competition’s waterlilies will be grown under the supervision of Danny Cox, the Aquatic Areas Specialist at Naples Botanical Gardens.